Intrepid Night
“Exhibits appear in all sorts of collections, regarding heroes, but currently there isn’t a well-respected museum dedicated just to Superheroes and Villains. Partially, this is because a lot of the earliest heroes worked closely with the militaries or government agencies very closely.
“There is a UNLOC museum at UN Headquarters, and the USCG Whisper has a large collection of artifacts from the guardians first team and items they captured, but peace time items are scattered about.”
“Eventually someone will get around to a fundraiser for it, I’m sure.”
Phantastique, speaking at a 1979 convention on super-fashion.
“How are you holding up? You haven’t done this much in public in a long while.”
Solaris nodded, sitting down sliding her shoes off. “I am going to need a day to decompress after this, though seeing Ishi’s kids was wonderful.” She leaned back in her plush chair putting her feet up. “Maybe I should host some sort of reunion for my girls. I know the original Kamikaze girls have all passed, but it might be nice to hear how they did from their descendants.” She pondered, then looked at Penny. “After we get done tonight, I think I’d like to take the Serenity out for a bit.”
"We can sail out, with the kiddos as crew, we can even take her out of the sight of land, let you have some real space for a day or so. That's definitely enough space to detox."
“That sounds perfect. The quiet of the sea.” She smiled at Cassidy as she came in.
“Room service should be up soon. I figured eat then change, the hairdresser isn’t in yet.” She said standing to greet the Tailor
"Absolutely fine, you know me, I'm always starving." she said, leading Solaris into the bedroom of the suite then unzipped one of the garment bags she was carrying. The speedster pulled out a pale blue blouse with pearl studded buttons and a mandarin collar, and hung it in the closet then added a darker blue skirt and a dark red long wool coat to the hanging garments . None were vibrant colors, rich but muted as befitted an event recognizing, among others, those who'd fallen.
“Oh this is lovely, it’s perfect for the event.” Solaris said. running fingers over the brushed silk of the shirt, it was sinfully soft.
“The shoes are carbon fiber, so they'll take a little bit of a beating, but if you get stompy they will break.” Cassidy said as she checked the garments for any pesky wrinkles. Then opened a box and pulled out a white belt, and blue shoes, setting them on the dresser. She set out the jewelry case with a simple pearl strand and golden bracelet style housing for her smart watch. An American slash United Kingdom flag pin was already on the coat. Understated was the goal in this case.
“The A-line skirt is a good choice, I’m less likely to flash people if I have to fly for some reason.”
“Foods here!” Marcus yelled, calling the two blonds to the living room.
“We ordered a bit of everything, so feel free to dive in.” Solaris said. Grabbing a plate.
“I included an inner lining that’s shorts under the skirt. Can’t really flash anyone.” Cassidy explained, snatching up a fried wing. “You're not the first flyer I've dressed. I also put a few pouches of ball bearings in the belt. If me throwing them at low Mach is painful you should have real fun.”
“Oh, yes,” Solaris smiled. “I used to keep some in my belt to use against vehicles. What they do to people is best not discussed.”
“I am less effective, but I am also a Tailor. We take threats seriously.” the speedster shrugged. "Also, I never quite figured out the death Frisbie thing you did with a tiara. God, I spent time trying as a teen. And I just said that out loud."
Solaris chuckled. “It’s okay, it was a last resort weapon most of the time. I trained for hours to pull it off. Let’s eat then you can put me in this lovely thing.”
"I am eating. You need to catch up." The stylist joked, having devoured three wings, two burgers, and a salad. Speedsters did not refuse offers of free food.
Solaris chucked, selecting a poached fish for herself. She didn’t want to have anything too heavy but wanted to make sure she wasn’t hungry at the event.
"So, make sure to get a picture standing next to your old plane. You're going to want that for the wall." Cassidy said. “And I want a copy!”
“Will do, it will be nice seeing the old girl again.” She finished eating then went and washed up, changing into the shirt and skirt. She stepped out her damp hair wrapped in a towel. “How does it look?”
"Looks good, looks good." She walked around her, straightening things. "Excellent. Not exactly going to take the cover of Vogue but won't be a disappointing picture outside of that."
“Well, the look isn’t complete yet.” The English woman smiled as Andre was led in by Penny. “Cassidy, this is Andre, he is the stylist I met at Bergdorf’s. He kindly agreed to do makeup and hair for me tonight.”
"Oh, now that's a flex. I'll step out of the way then." Cassidy chuckled, moving to the opposite side of the table, still in reach of snacks.
Andre paused to take the older blond in. "Now that's a nice outfit, bespoke. Your work I presume?" The hair stylist nodded to Cassidy. "So, something serious, but not too serious. I can work with that."
Andre dried Solaris’s hair using his oils and creams to make it shine like gold before curling the edges, he pinned her hair up in a partial updo using pearl combs in a not quite vintage look. What do you think, I’m going to go a bit more modern with makeup, a nice pink lip and subtle eye and cheek tinting.
"With the vintage style combs, it looks perfect. Just the effect we were going for. She's a wonderful pallet for old vs. new, no offense to referring to you as a pallet, of course."
“For artists like yourselves that is what I am. I take no offense.” Solaris said as her face was done up and her nails done in a soft dusty blue with a white crystal on the pinkie.
"I like how each button is a seed pearl in a tiny broach on the coat. Elegant but reasonably understated in spite of it. Though it still speaks of wealth, important with politicians and business types.” Andre said, he was enjoying a chance to work with other professionals
"Thanks, I was trying something new, a bit of bling for the buttons."
Solaris let the two fuss and perfect the look. "Your turn Penny." she said playfully as she pulled on the overcoat, fluffing her hair around it.
"Yeah." Penny's outfit was a straightforward sheath dress, also with a long coat. However her coat was heavier, as she was a bit more affected by the weather than Solaris.
Andre grinned using gold beaded combs to pin Penny's short hair up, using his magic to give her a classy almost deco look. Her short hair limited options but had the advantage of being quick to work with. "And Voila!"
"Looks good. Alright... guess I'm riding shotgun."
Solaris smiled, "Indeed." she said, grabbing her bag, "I figure I’ll put the top down when we get to the docks, that way we don't muss our hair. Feel free hang out. I'll probably head back to the house after the party.” she said to Cassidy and the others before heading to the elevator then down to the Valet.
Penny called ahead so the car could be brought around. They walked out to find Solaris's new car waiting. The Austin Heeley 3000 had its black rag top up; the seams done with golden thread. The paint was the light 'Solaris blue' that was a signature for the hero, with the lower segment from behind the front wheel back painted white, a red pen stripe separating the two areas. The wheels were custom, and glinted gold in the fading sunlight.
Climbing into the compact little sports car they settled onto the leather seats, dyed white, the original gauges and the original minimalist dashboard having been replaced with a compact but high-tech infotainment center, the GPS already showing the route to the USS Intrepid Museum.
The engine purred with an aggression that wouldn't be expected from the 2.9-liter engine ordinarily, hinting to turbochargers added to the light but peppy engine that hid under the hood.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
"She is beautiful." Solaris said pleased. I was thinking of flying home, but it would be a sin not to try this out on the highway don’t you think?" She moved easily into the incessant stop and go of New York traffic, her feet and hands moving gracefully as she up and down shifted or braked. "The manual should be in the glove box, want to take a look and see what the toymakers did with the old girl.” She could feel recessed buttons in the gear selector, and was curious what they might do.
“Seems like he borrowed the kids pepper-ball shooters, which I kind of like, I admit.” She said. “The buttons I can sense you fingering on the stick, and the top is the nitrous shot injector. You have two preset shots you can use, about half what the engine could have, but as light as she is I’d worry about hitting altitude if you pushed it too far.”
"Sure..." She dug out the small book and paged through. "We also have an oil slick, that’s the lower button on the stick, and a smoke generator. That, and aiming the pepper ball system is done from the little info-screen here."
Solari chuckled. “Zoya mentioned she accidentally set off the pepper balls.”
Penny rolled her eyes with a chuckle. "She and her mom seem to be doing better after Hawaii. And apparently Z has reported her father to be 'Surprisingly tolerable'. Her doing the white cape thing has likely earned her a bit of grace from him, and he's not completely stupid, and realizes he pissed the women in his life off."
“I figured a month of washing his own socks and cooking would take a bit of the stuffing out of him. I know Granny took the maids over to their place to make sure his wife didn't come home to a disaster."
"Yeah, apparently the guy dyed one of his costumes pink. Granny forced him to sit and learn how to sort and wash clothing properly from a teenage housekeeper. Humility thy name is red socks. She tilted her head. "Enter joke about Boston baseball here."
Solaris laughed. "Fortunately, I don't think the team name comes from an angry wife." Solaris hit the canopy button a block before the docks tossing her hair as the car opened. "Ready for your first grand showing?" They entered the line for the Valet, watching the red carpet treatment of the various people getting out of the cars. "Well, we stand out a bit. Look at all the big black cars." she chuckled thinking how different, her small vintage car looked.
"Yeah, but the beast three ahead sure as heck ain't a limo." She said, pointing at the high end supercar that was waiting their turn just a few ahead of them. "I seem to recognize that from somewhere." She chuckled.
"Ahh, yes, that is Killian's car. I remember it from the news." She chuckled. "It suits him. Big, powerful, and loud."
"Yeah, and very German, I looked it up. He's managed to keep good relations with Germany, well West Germany then reunited Germany. Partially due to having the good sense to not try to come back." She chuckled.
"It helped that he wasn't a Nazi himself, and he did his best to help during reconstruction. Invading the Atlantean Isles was his best move; he wanted more power but taking it from the east or west Germans would have tipped over a very precarious applecart and everyone knew it."
"Yeah, UNLOC uses him as an example of the both best and worst kind of warlord. One who is smart enough to know his limitations, and clever enough to know everyone else’s."
"That is a good description of him. Showtime." Solaris said, taking a breath and putting her serene media smile on as she pulled up t and stepped out of the car with a swish of red coat. Stepping forward then waiting for Penny before walking towards the ship, neither woman paused for the camera’s that fired at them like silent machine guns.
“I am so glad flash technology has improved. the number of popping bulbs was always a bit… I believe the modern word would be Triggering.” Solaris said with a grin.
The Intrepid party was a charity gathering, not quite a ball but they could hear dance music, even down at the parking zone. They walked to the gangplank and came aboard the world war era carrier, turned into a museum ship.
Solaris looked around, thinking how much and how little changed. There were obvious updates since the last time she stood on that type of carrier, but it was still a lethal, gray beast. "Well, I can see Why Zakai wanted this event." she said dryly. "Ahh there is at least one familiar face. "I see your old boss, Helen. Shall we go say hello?"
"Oh yes, right near your old plane. Say hello, then hit the drink table. It's going to get dry really quick." She agreed, following Solaris through the crowd, finding how easily she moved through it funny, since she likely couldn't see over most of the people’s heads."
"Helen, it is good to see you. How are things in the UNLOC office." Solaris said her tone friendly. She shook hands, before laying one on the hull of the F3F biplane that had been given to her, much like the rest of her team, having been retired just before the war got going. In spite of being a ‘surplus’ craft that was given to them as disposable assets, the entire team had loved the little flying barrels.
"Well, they were quiet here in DC until your contemporary decided to be dramatic with his entrance. We didn't even know he'd developed a medium lift, carrier grade planes for his navy. That was a surprise."
"Yes, well I'll apologize for what measure of fault that is of mine." Solaris said, “Did you get my apology gift for stealing Penny from you?”
"Yes, and I do appreciate it. Small batch, aged scotch never hurts my feelings." She chuckled. "And she was going to have to muster out anyhow. This prevented her from being tempted to a desk job at Coast Guard she'd have hated. I personally pegged her for CGIS in a few years."
“She would have done well there, she is definitely an asset working with all the younger enhanced I hired to tend the household.”
"Yeah, the Fledglings, and Griffin Security. I saw it come across my desk with the notices. I won't lie, I might bring my own car out to your kids to do some work." Helen chuckled.
"Has my old friend started more businesses already? You never could help yourself." The accent was thinner than it was in the fifties, but the mix of arrogance and humor in the rich baritone were impossible to forget. "How are you, Lady Elizabeth." Killian von Volkhard greeted as he stepped up to the three women. His lean but muscular form was sheathed in a light wool suit with a dark tie.
"Money that isn't working is wasted." Solaris said, turning to her old acquaintance and offering him her hand. "You entertain yourself as a ruler, I prefer business, I think it generates less paperwork." Her blue eyes danced as she teased her old villain. He had aged, there were crow’s feet now, and silver in the blonde, But he certainly didn't look a century old. "You are looking well Killian."
"Ach, you see, the British know how to lie so politely. I am merely an old man next to your eternal beauty, my dear." He said with a wink. "As for rulership, to be fair we are both bred for it, in the traditional upbringing sense before a reporter overhears me and gets naughty ideas. The English just always used business in place of conventional government where it could."
He looked around theatrically. "Which is where this country came from, if memory serves."
She laughed. “You are not wrong, though King George really bungled things. And dear for being a smidge over a century I would say you are looking amazing.”
“Well, I do try to eat healthy and eat well.” He joked. “Still, I prefer crow’s feet to freezing. That just must have been a special kind of unsettling to awaken from. “
Solaris nodded. “When I entered the lair it was alive with machines and lights, when I woke it was in a dark dusty tomb. Then found out my flat had been demolished to make way for a new building!”
"Well, it is New York." He nodded. "Have you had contact with any of the others from the old days? Kitsune? Winter? He's getting on in years, but his granddaughter is pretty active in Europe. A superhero of some note, and part of the EU premier response team."
“Not yet, I met a kinsman of hers, but it was an incidental meeting. I did get a letter from Nereid. It said ‘Hello, glad you’re back. Tankman owes me 20 bucks.’ She was never the most social of us.”
“She hasn’t changed. Trust me. I support peace with her by donating to her national library.”
That sounds about right.” Solaris shook her head. If it isn’t the Cubs in the World Series she wants to be left alone with her books.”
“Yeah. You missed that.” Penny laughed. “They were surfing for three weeks”
“Oh I remember that. You should have seen your little librarian. Nereid went on a bender that even I admit was impressive.”
“Oh wow. I cannot imagine! She was threatening to set every goat in Illinois on fire last time I got us series tickets. She never forgave Thoth for refusing to ‘break the curse’.”
“Oh yeah. That was a big win. Chicago went insane. It was as much a show as the series had been.” Killian said.
“Did you get the pizza and cola I sent you”
“Most of it. I have interns along. I have found teens must feed constantly and am not brave enough to protect it
“Interns? Are you taking a page from my book now? I thought I ordered enough, next time I will order extra pies, especially if you are traveling with teens.”
"Not precisely. Not in the sense of your near addiction to mentorship. In my case, it's the fact that in the last three decades, since the Soviets collapsed, we've had a rather booming economy, and fewer security concerns so everything’s grown. Population, economy, manufacturing, and tragically, government. We're needing to train people to run things. Which, I won't lie, fascinates me. I thought bureaucrats grew up in a hole."
Solaris shook her head. “The world runs on middle management, that’s why I do my best to take care of mine. How have the years treated you? How is Anna? And did you ever catch that bloody Italian?
"Anna is doing well, she's much like us, slow aging. And the Italian in question died during the so-called Speedster wars. One of the first casualties, for his sins, and we both know they were plentiful."
“What a crying shame, may hell keep him warm.” Solaris said with the sweetest of smiles. So how long till you are free to see my new place? Fair warning I didn’t know you were coming so I have some podcasters running about.”
"Oh, a week or so." He sighed. "Did you say Podcasters? Oh, do let me know when. I will make damn sure to slip on by then. I have to protect myself from your aspersions, after all." He said with a chuckle.
“Yes, Jessie and James from Capewatch. They seem like good people, My publicist, set them up with interviewing Luna Fuega, and I…. ‘Convinced’ Qilin to do an interview with them.
"Oh, I've only heard of him in passing, but I understand that he's a challenge to pin down for the media. He must have irritated you somehow."
“I’ll tell you about it when you come over. I figured we can take my boat out and have a nice meal and chat away from cameras. My chef has been working hard on a menu”
"Excellent, oh dear, you're going to have to have a formal party, as well, aren’t you. You haven't had one yet. I've kept my eyes on events, you know."
“Yes it’s being planned. We are still working on the guest list, but right now the plan is for a garden fete, it should be very Christmasy.
"I would say it's a bit early, but Americans seem to celebrate the holidays for several months out of the year."
“Not that early we normally started decorating the Manor in November. And I am looking forward to the gardens being full of fairy lights. I am torn on finger food or a proper feast. Both have their advantages.”
"Oh, go all out, do a proper multi-course meal. Really give your chef a workout. Make them feel like they need to be in four places at once." He urged, with a chuckle.
Solaris looked at Penny and both women laughed. “As you wish Killian. I’ll even make sure there is at least one German course in your honor!”
"Oh, you do me too much of a kindness. I will accept a decent German beer being on hand as more than enough. You, at least, have taste unlike these Americans and their 'light beers'."
“Lady or not, I was still a soldier, who enjoyed many of Europe’s finest brews…she turned her head at a weird metallic sound from the harbor…” why does that sound…familiar?”